Shoe-sole stiffener and arch support



C. M. CHRISTENSEN SHOE SOLE STIFFENER AND ARCH SUPPORT Feb. 3; 1925. v 1,525,372

Filed. March 15. 1924 INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

port,'1of which the following is a specifica Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

.[ UNITED STATES CHRISTIAN M. CHRISTENSEN, OF EAGLE GROVE, IOWA.

SHOE-SOLE STIFFENER AND ARCH SUPPORT.

' application filed He bals, 1924. Serial ire/699,566.

To all whom z'tmay concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN M. CHRIS- 'rENsEN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Eagle Grove, in the county ofWright and State of Iowa, have invented a newand useful Shoe-Sole Stif'fener and Arch Suption.

' This -invention relates to shoe sole stiffeners and arch supports.-

The object is to provide means for stiffening the shanks of shoes and at the same time supporting the arch of the foot, said means being located between the inner and outer soles and held in position by a: singlefastener at each end thereof, the stiffening means extending from the rear portion of the heel of the shoe to the ball of the foot and there provided with a hinge to allow the stiffener to bend t-o'confirmto the natural bend of the foot while walking;

Another object is to provide stiffening means which may be readily and cheaply manufactured by. stamping from sheet metal and applied to the inner. face of the outer sole before *the same is applied to the inner sole, to preserve the usual bend in the latter where connected to the heel, and to give the maiimum amount of comfort to the wearer.

A further object is to provide a stiifening means in the form of a base plate upon which the arch support is mounted in such a manner as toprevent the same from wearing into and puncturing the shank portion of the outer sole during prolonged use of the shoe, and.to provide padding means between the arch support and the base memberto render silent the movements of the arch support while under pressure.

Af full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection withfthe accom panying drawing forming a part of this specification; it being understood that' while the drawin shows a practical form of the invention, t e latter is not to be confined to strict conformity with the showing thereof, but may be changed or modified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out? in the appended claims.-

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a portion of an inner and an outer shoe sole and showing the invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a plan View of the heel portion of an outer sole and showing the invention applied to the inner face thereof.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but drawn on a larger scale.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the arch support. Figure 5 is a similar view of the stiifening means for the shank of the shoe.

Figure 6 is a detailsection through the hinge of the stiifener.

The increasedv demand for-a combined shoestifi'ening means and arch support has led to the present invention, which may be easily and cheaply manufactured and installed in any kind of boot or shoe to stiffen and strengthen the shank thereof between the ball of the foot and the heel,

allowing the proper amount of flexing during the act of walking, and at the same time providing an elevated arch to fit the footand render-the maximum amount of comfort to the wearer,'and to assist in ouring certain defects in the feet in a wellknown manner. y

In the drawing there is shown a portion of an outer sole 1 and the usual inner sole 2,

constructed, shaped and joined together in the customary manner and provided with a heel 3. The reduced portion of the sole of the shoe between the ball of the foot and the heel, which is known as the shank, is usually provided with a stiffening spring which is ordinarily embedded between the two layers of leather and soon wears a hole in the inner face of the shank of the outer sole after short use of the shoe, often protruding through the same and causing the I same tobreak. In order to prevent this, the present invention comprlses a stifiening plate 4 constituting a base plate formed of sheet steel and having the general contour of the shape of the inner sole, though considerably narrower than the same.

' Thebase plate 4 has its heel end 5 rounded as shown and provided with a central aperture 6, while the longitudinal side edges along the narrow portion of the plate are flanged or turned upwardly as at 7 the same being rounded to properly conform to the shape of the bottom of the foot.

At the front end the stiffener plate is reduced and formed into a hingeloop 8, which is adapted to swing in an eye 9 of a somewhat wider plate 10 constituting a stationary attaching plate, having a central aperture 11 and adapted to conform to the widened sole at the ball of the foot and to be rigidly connected to the same upon the inner face'there'of.

Mounted upon the base or stiffening plate "4 and the stationary plate 10 and cut to conform to the shapes thereof, is a layer of flexible leather forming a pad 12 and having suitable apertures in registering relation to the aforsaid apertures 6 and 11, the

said leather pad being slightly turned upwardly along its longitudinal side edges,

7 at the narrowest portion, by the aforesaid an aperture 15 for the reception of a rivet 16, which traverses the alined apertures in the stationary plate 10 and the pad, said rivet passing through the outer sole 1 at,

the ball of the foot and serving to hold the device at the front end between the inner and outer soles.

At the'rear or heel end, the arch support 13 is provided with a longitudinallydisposed, central slot 17 for the reception of a rivet 18, which traverses the heel portion of the outer sole where resting on the heel 3, as well as the aperture 6 of the plate 4: and the alined aperture in the pad 12, the said rivets 16 and 18 being headed over in a manner to tightly hold the front ends of the elements, and to permit the rear or heel end of the arch support 13 to slide longitudinally when the same is flattened under pressure of the weight of the wearer. The inherent spring of the flexible strip 13 will cause the same to arch when the weight is removed as when the shoe is removed from the foot or the wearer is sitting down.

During the act of walking, as the foot is bent at the ball of the foot in the natural to, tends to make the bending gradual over the hinge, or distributes the same, instead of permitting a sharp hinge bend in the stiffener, which is uncomfortable to the foot of the wearer and injurious to the shoe, often resulting in the breaking of the shank.

The stifiener and arch support extends from the rear portion of the heel to the ball of the foot and with the hinge well advanced and designed to allow the toes and ball of the foot to bend freely upward, and having theflexible support arranged above the base member to snugly fit the instep of the foot and support the-same, the maximum of ease "and comfort and physical benefit is insured, as well as the strengthening andv long life of the shoe is materially increased.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple, cheaply-manufactured and easily installed arch support and shoe stiffenenhas been provided for use in the shanks of shoes, whereby 'the above advantages are obtained vwi'lithout material advance in the cost of the s oe.

What is claimed is: l

1. A shoe sole stiffener and arch support adapted to be secured to the inner face of the outer sole, comprising a base plate formed of two spring-steel members transversely hinged to ether, to rest on said outer sole, a pad con orming to the shape of the base and resting on the same, a resilient, arched supportresting' on the pad, and fastening means for securing both ends of the members to said sole.

2. A shoe sole stiffener and arch sup port adapted to be secured to the inner face" of the outer sole, comprising a resilient base plate formed of two spring-steel members transversely hinged together, to rest on said outer sole and extending from the rear of the heel to the ball of the foot, a flexible pad conforming to the shape of the base and resting on the same, a resilient, arched support resting on the pad and ex tending throughout the major portion of its length, and fastening-means for securing both ends of the members to said sole and. for permitting the rear end of the arched support to slide longitudinally when under pressure.

3. A shoe sole stiffener and arch support comprising a resilient base plate formed of two spring-steel members transversely hinged together, adapted to be secured to the inner face of the outer sole and extending from the rear portion of the heel to the ball of the foot, said base plate having the arch support and permitting the same to slide longitudinally. r 4. A shoe sole stifl'ener and arch support adapted to be located between theinner and outer soles of a shoe and at the shank thereof, comprising an elongated base plate hinged at its forward end at the'ball of the foot, a superimposed relatively narrow .arch support mounted on the base, a flexible pad between the support and the base plate,

means for rigidly connecting the front ends of the three members to the outer sole, and means for connecting the rear ends to the outer sole and for permitting the heel end of the arch support to slide longitudinally to flatten under pressure.

5. A shoe sole stiffener and arch support adapted to be located between. the inner and outer soles of a shoe and at the shank thereof, comprising an elongated base plate formed of two thin, spring-steel members transversely hinged together, the front member constituting a stationary member and located at the ball of the foot, a flexible pad covering the base members, an arched, spring-steel support shorter than the base and mounted on the pad, the front ends of the support and the pad and the stationary member of the base being rigidly connected to the outer sole at the ball of the foot with the rear. ends of the base and the pad rigidly connected to the heel portion, the rear end of the said support being slidable longitudinally thereon.

In-testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

CHRISTIAN M. CHRISTENSEN. 

